Analyst: new consoles for Nintendo and Microsoft rolled out by 2010

Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson took a look into the future by saying that Microsoft and Nintendo will be rolling out new consoles in two year's time. He expects the video game industry to peak around 2010 and the demand for new hardware will be needed by the end of both the Xbox 360's and the Wii's life cycles.

Wilson explained his prediction by saying:

We believe that peak industry sales will occur in 2010, given that Microsoft will likely introduce its next console that year and Nintendo will likely launch before then.

He also predicted that 2010 will spell the time for new handheld hardware for both Nintendo and Sony as the life cycles for both the DS and the PlayStation Portable should be ending around that time.

In a related story found on GamesIndustry.biz, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's David Reeves expects that the PlayStation 3 will have a ten year cycle due to the built-in hard drive and the ability to upgrade the console firmware.